Walking meditation is a great practice for those of us who experience pain or discomfort when doing sitting meditation. At full day retreats, it is common to interchange sitting and walking meditation so that one hour sitting meditation is followed by half an hour walking meditation. Walking meditation can increase our concentration and mindfulness especially when our mind is extremely distracted or agitated. In this video I give some simple instructions on my favorite walking meditation technique and I explain the benefits of practicing walking meditation in general.
Videos
Right Mindfulness: Practical Benefits and Its Relationship with Concentration
Practicing mindfulness has become a popular practice in the West with many organisations jumping on board the mindfulness train in the hope that teaching it to their employees will reduce stress levels and increase productivity. The Buddha also taught mindfulness to his followers with the aim of achieving peace in their minds; however, his goal was to help them reach an everlasting peace and freedom sustained by a mind full of compassion and wisdom.
In this video I briefly explain how the Four Foundations of Mindfulness makes up the practice of Right Mindfulness. In particular, I explore the practical benefits of practicing Right Mindfulness and how it helps us to develop freedom from our thoughts and feelings, to perceive reality with a more open and observant mind and how it is invaluable for increasing meditative concentration which leads to ultimate freedom and liberation.
The Benefits of Going on a Buddhist Pilgrimage
Every year thousands of people travel to Nepal and India to visit the holy sites associated with the Buddha’s life. While some people visit these places merely for their historical significance, many devotees and spiritual seekers go there to grow, renew and strengthen their connection with the Buddha and his teachings. In this video I explain one of the main reasons why pilgrims make this journey and what are some of the benefits of going on a Buddhist pilgrimage.
Jealousy & Envy: How to Overcome the Green-Eyed Monster
No one wants to feel jealous or envious of others; yet when these negative emotions arise they can be difficult for us to stop or to find a way to control them. But overcoming jealousy and envy is not as hard as we think once we know some good techniques for dealing with them.
In this video I investigate the multifaceted nature of jealousy and I primarily focus on how to deal with jealousy that arises when someone has something we want ourselves and we can’t be happy for their possession of it. I also lead you through a step-by-step exercise on how we can eliminate jealousy from our mind so we no longer fall prey to this terrible green-eyed monster.
How to Change Your Thinking and Your Life: The Four Great Efforts
If the Buddha were here today he would probably say, “If you want to change your life, then start by changing your thinking.” In the Noble Eightfold Path, the Buddha taught that the way to happiness is to practice Right Effort, meaning that we should relinquish negative and harmful thoughts and instead cultivate positive and beneficial ones.
Peace and happiness can really be one thought away provided we know which thoughts we need to let go of and which ones we should cultivate and encourage. In this video, I explain the Four Great Efforts and give you practical tips on how to practice each one.
Mindfulness and Intention
In August last year I was invited to be part of a panel of mindfulness experts discussing the topic of mindfulness and intention. The event was organized by The Chopra Well and hosted by Mallika Chopra (daughter of the well-known spiritual teacher, Deepak Chopra). The panel was conducted via Google+ Hangouts.